Prep Athletics: Two arrested on multiple sex assault allegations at Mark Morris
Police Report – Investigation comes as MM boys basketball, administration face increasing scrutiny
By Andre Stepankowsky (Lower Columbia Currents) and Jordan Nailon (Blast Zone Media) / blastzonenews@gmail.com
Longview police Thursday morning arrested two juveniles on multiple allegations of sexual assault in connection with their criminal investigation at Mark Morris High School, the agency announced this morning.
The suspects were taken into custody on the following charges:
• Rape in the 2nd Degree.
• Unlawful Imprisonment with Sexual Motivation.
• Indecent Liberties with Forcible Compulsion.
• Indecent Exposure.
“The investigation remains active. Detectives continue to review evidence and conduct interviews as they examine all aspects of the case. Currently, there is no known ongoing threat to students,” according to a statement police published on Facebook.
“In addition to the criminal allegations involving juveniles, the department is reviewing matters related to Mandatory Reporting requirements. This review relates to statutory reporting obligations and is part of the broader investigation,” the press release states.
Police opened the investigation on February 9 when an alleged victim came to police to report he’d been sexually abused.
School District spokesman Rick Parrish and Longview School Board Vice President Jennifer Leach did not immediately return requests for comment. School board President Don Wiitala was unavailable this morning.
School district officials said they had consulted an attorney and concluded that they had no obligation to report anything under the state’s mandatory reporting law. The law requires educators to notify police whenever there is reasonable cause to suspect any kind of abuse.
In Thursday’s press release, police said, “We recognize that this situation is concerning for students, families, and staff. Allegations involving youth and our schools carry significant weight in our community.”
“The safety of our students remains our first and highest priority,” Police Chief Robert Huhta said in the release. “The Longview Police Department will continue to examine every aspect of this case thoroughly and objectively.”
The arrests followed multi-day student protests last week calling attention to allegations of pervasive sexual misconduct on campus. The bulk of those allegations have been directed towards the boys’ locker room as an unsafe space, and the boys basketball team has come under particular scrutiny.
The Mark Morris school resource officer told KATU on February 9 that the school is “addressing the matter internally” and hadn’t yet requested the department’s help. That was before an alleged victim came to police later that day.
Last week Cowlitz County Prosecuting Attorney Ryan Jurvakainen recused himself from handling any charges that might arise from the ongoing investigation into allegations against the Mark Morris basketball team due to his connection to people potentially involved in the case.
While an official connection has not been confirmed by authorities, it’s been an open secret for weeks that the Mark Morris boys basketball team has been dealing with its own internal discipline issues.
The Monarchs played the final three games of the regular season with numerous regular varsity players out of action without explanation. Mark Morris then removed four players from its playoff roster and did not submit a team photo for the 2A District IV program.
Players and students at Mark Morris confirmed there has been internal discipline handed out in relation to allegations of misconduct by players on the team. Administrators at Mark Morris have repeatedly declined to comment and have directed all further questions to Parrish.
Mark Morris principal Aaron Whitright sent an email to parents on the evening of Saturday, Feb. 7, asking the community to refrain from spreading rumors, while noting that the school had followed WIAA protocol in assigning discipline to any student athletes found to be involved in misconduct.
Mark Morris head coach Ken Kelly has also been silent on the specifics of the situation, declining all requests for comment from Blast Zone Media outright since a postgame interview following a loss to R.A. Long on Feb. 5, the final day of the regular season.
“People are going to reach for straws with just about any situation out there, and it’s not my job to stop any rampant rumors or community talk,” Kelly told BZM after that shorthanded Civil War loss. “My job is to follow procedure and follow protocol and make sure that if something does happen that I work hand and hand with my administration to make sure the right decisions are made.”
Kelly declined an interview request with BZM following the Monarchs’ season-ending loss at W.F. West in Chehalis last Thursday, and explanations for the extended absences and the playoff roster changes were never provided. However, Kelly did speak on the record in a postgame radio interview with The Blitz 101.5 FM, in which he stated in part:
“I will say this much — people may think that there’s some kind of crack in the dam here. People say, ‘Oh, the season was a failure, the season was a disaster.’ Whatever they want to say, that’s fine. But in my mind there’s one really, really big success here. I am somebody who, I have no problem making decisions that may not help us win basketball games if I feel that they’re the decisions that are right.”
In Thursday’s press release, police said, “We recognize that this situation is concerning for students, families, and staff. Allegations involving youth and our schools carry significant weight in our community.”
“The safety of our students remains our first and highest priority,” Police Chief Robert Huhta said in the release. “The Longview Police Department will continue to examine every aspect of this case thoroughly and objectively.”
About the Authors: Andre Stepankowsky is the publisher of Lower Columbia Currents, and the former news editor at The Daily News in Longview. Jordan Nailon is the publisher of BlastZoneMedia.com, and the former sports editor at TDN.
